Means for holding and adjusting printing-plates.



R. MIEHLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1917 MEANS FOR HOLDiNG AND ADJUSTING PRINTING PLATES.

ROBERT MIEHLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR HOLDING AND ADJUSTING PRINTING-PLATES.

nasaeas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1%18.

Application filed February 26, 1917. Serial No. 150,868.

ing and positioning stereotype, electrotype,

and other printing plates in such manner that the plates may be adjusted or registered on the base with great nicety, and it has more especial reference to that class in which the base is provided with a plurality of undercut grooves or channels in its surface for retaining the plate holding and ad justing hooks or clamps. These grooves or channels are necessarily narrow and are only deep enough to accommodate the mechanism of the plate-adjusting devices, and for obvious reasons the entire clamp mechanism must be below the printing surface of the plate so as not to be inked by the inking rollers.

This invention has for its primary object, to provide a plate holder having a drop-in member adapted to be turnedin an undercut groove of the base to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portions of the groove together with means, preferably extending longitudinally of the groove, engageable with the plate holder and a side of said groove to prevent said plate holder from turning to disengage said drop-in member from the undercut portion of the points to afford a positive adjustment of the plate holder; and to provide a plate. holder of the above described character actuating in a diagonally arranged groove having the drop-in member engageable with the side of the undercut portion of the groove to cooperate with a means for adjusting the plate holder longitudinally of the groove to clamp the plate and to afford a wedging action of the plate holder against the plate whereby the resistance of the plate angularly to the groove is converted into resistance parallel to the groove and the adjustment means so that no side strain is placed on the adjust mcnt means to cause excessive wear t-liereon; and to provide a device of the above described character which provides a maximum amount of slow powerful adjustment and which may be inserted or removed from the groove at any point and which when inserted is positively held within said groove.

I will explain myinvention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of hook of my invention and one use thereof, the drawing illustrating the adaptation of such hook to a fiat form base for a fiat bed press, though the hooks of my invention are obviously adapted to be used in connection with any suitable form support known to those familiar with the art such as form bed bases of rotary presses.- In the drawing Figure l is a plan view illustrating a part of a base and a plurality of printing plate sections assembled therewith by. the hooks of my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the rigidly connected plate holding hook member and drop-in member without the hook adjusting means; Fig. 3 is a view on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the structure appearing in Fig. 4;; Fig. 6 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 5 assembled with the base and in connection-with which the positioning tool is illustrated; Fig. 7 illustrates the structure of Fig. 6' with book adjusting means added; Fig. 8 is a view on line 8 8 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate certain formations of the hook which are desirable when particularly narrow margins are to be secured; Fig.'11 is an enlarged partial side elevation of the adjustment screw in operative connection with its driving tool as hereinafter described.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The base 1 is shown as being flat for use in a fiat bed press. It is curved in the case of a rotary press. This base is provided with a plurality of parallel diagonal grooves 2 which are undercut, desirably upon each side, to make them of T-shape. Each side margin of each groove is provided with 25' members 7 of other plate hooks.

notches 3. vThe printing plate structure is, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, formed of a plurality of plate sections 4, 5, 6, etc.-' With reference to Figs.

1 and 8, the adjacent margins of adjacent plates 4 and 5 are provided with angular undercut grooves for receiving correspondingly shaped jaws of a plate engaging hook member 7. The margin of the plate 5 which is adjacent the plateG is provided with an 'outsetting beveled edge while the adjacent margin of plate 6 has an undercut groove, the adjacent edge portions of the plates?) and 6 receiving the correspondingly shaped jaws of another plate engaging hook member 7. The right hand edge of plate 1s outwardly beveled similarly to the bevehng of the right hand edge of plate 5a nd isen gaged by a correspondingly shaped aw of another plate engaging hook member 7. In Fig. 1, otherplate sections 8 9 and 10 are illustrated, edges of these plates and the adjacent edges of the adjacent plates f1, 5 and 6 being engaged by other plate holding hook In Fig. 1, the left hand edge of the plate section 4. is illustrated and this edge is outwardly bev eled similarly to the right hand edge-0f plate 6 and is engaged by a plate holding hook member 7 to another plate hook. Each plate hookcomprises a plate holdlng hook member 7 and a drop-in member llthat are substantially rigidly connected, as by means of a cylindrical connecting member 12 which is nearer one end of the drop-in member 11 than the o-ther'so that such drop-in member has a long end and a short end as illustrated in Fig. 3. The plate holding hook member 7, however, desirably has its central portlon 40 connected with the connecting member 12. As illustrated, the drop-in member 11 is longer than the width of thevtop of the groove 2 and is of a width that will enable this drop-in member to lodge within the groove when this member is placed lengthwise of thegroove.

member7 of each hook is illustrated as being sufiiciently long to extend across the top of a receiving groove 2. After the drop-1n member has been placed lengthwise of a groove and has been deposited therein the 00k structure is given a turn to engage the ends of the drop-in member with the undercut portions of the grooves. The plate holding hook member 7 and the drop:1n

member 11 are desirablyformed in one 1ntegral piece with theconnecting member 12 so that as the drop-in member is turned the plate holding hook member is also turned, turning movement being continued until the long end of the drop-in member 11 engages a side ofthe undercut portion of the receiving groove 2 whereupon the plate holding hook member, owing to its rigid relation with the drop-in member, would be-approxiwhen it is unprovided wit The'pla-te holding hook 7 mately in position to engage the plate that it is to hold. The platehooks that are interposed between the plates 4 and 8, 5 and 9, 7 and 10, and 4. and 5, are movable longitudinally of the grooves receiving them to enable them to be adjusted in position but are.

not shown as being provided with any adjusting mechanism connected therewith, these particular hooks being employed as spacers between adjacent plate sections of a form section and operating merely to hold the plates downon the base in proper relationl The plate holding hook members 7 of these sp-acin hooks may be of different -widths to suit different desired margins beof the receiving groove. This means, in

these latter'hooks, also constitute registering means for effecting plate registering movement of these plate hooks. The registering and plate hook holding means is inclusive of a drop-in member 13 that is connected with its hook andis receivable within the notches orpockets 3 to position the hook in the receiving groove by maintaining the drop in member 11 with its long end in engagement with the adjacent side of the undercut portion of the receiving. groove. Where the hook holding means is also a registering means the drop in member 13 preferably constitutes the head of a screw 14 which, is receivable in the threaded horizontal opening 15 in the connecting member i 12. Each of the hooks may have its connecting member 12 formed with a horizontal threaded opening 1'5 so that it may be either a mere plate holdin spacing hook a registering screw 14 or may be readily converted into a registering hook when provided with such screw. The assembly of the registering screws With the hook is effected after the hook is dropped in and turned approxi-.115 mately to a plate holding position, in which position the threaded opening 15 is properly alined with the receiving groove 2 to receive the corresponding screw 14 which desirably has a reduced 'end 16 to guide the screw into the hole 15, the hook being pushed against the screw to introduce the small end 16 of the screw into the opening 15 whereafter the screw'hea'd 13 is turned to effect desiredthreaded engagement between the screw and the threaded opening 15. The registering hook member 7 may have its side that is adjacent the screw head 13 cut away as indicated at 7 (Fig. 1) and undercut at 7 2 (Fig.2) to allow said member 7 to be very closely approached to said screw head and partially to overlie the screw head.

rear end face of the screw is To increase the speed with which the screw limay be assembled with a plate hook after the drop-in members and the screw and plate hook have been properly placed in relation to each other in a receiving groove 2, the rovided with a tool engaging gear formation 13 which comprises a plurality of radial slots 15 disposed angularly to one another, the face 13 of said formation being concave to decrease the depth of the slots at the center, see Figs. 7 and 11. These slots are engageable by the cross 10 upon an end of the tool 19, which comprises a plurality of driving formations disposed in radial relation with one another to be engaged with respective slots 13 The end 19 of the tool 19 is rounded and has a greater degree of curvature than said concave face so that when theend 19 of the tool is engaged with said face with its axis inclined'to that-of the screw, those driving formations, which are substantially perpendicular to a plane passing through both axes, engage the respective slots only at the center, at which point, it will be noted, the slots are shallow, thus allowing clearance so that there is no interference when the tool is rotated though this limited engagement of said driving formations retains the tool in central engagement with the gear formation. While so inclined the driving formation which is disposed adjacent the plane passing through the axes of the screw and tool, and on the side of the lesser angle defined by said axes, constitutes the drive, the opposite driving formation and its slot being entirely out of engagement. See Fig. 11. The tool is maintained in proper longitudinal position by the engagement of the end 19 with the bottoms of the slots. When a screw has been assembled with a hook the head 13 of the screw (constituting a drop-in member),

through the intermediation of the screw, prevents the drop-in member llfrom turning and leaving the undercut portions of the groove 2 that receive the drop-in member 11 whereby the assembly of 'the hook and base is maintained. 1

It will be observed that the notches or pockets 3 are retainers for the screw heads 13 and confine these screw heads tofixed planes of rotation and afford bearing surfaces therefor as said heads are turned. The bottoms of the receiving grooves also constitute bearing surfaces for said screw heads. By this construction screw heads of comparatively large diameter may be employed in which tool receiving holes 17 may be formed for receiving the screw head engaging end portion 18 of an adjusting tool 19. This tool .end 18 may also be inserted in holes 20 that are provided in the tops of the hook members 7 to aid in the positioning of the hook members and their withdrawal from the base. Where the screw heads 13 are of such diameter that upper portions thereof project above the upper surface of the base 1 the bottom faces of the plates are desirably grooved (as indicated at 21 Fig. 8) to accommodate the upper portions of such screw heads. Some of the'plate holding hook members 7 may each have but one jaw, as for example those which engage the outer edges of outer plate sections. Other plate holding hook members 7 may each be provided withdouble jaws as for example those which are interposed between the plate sections 4 and 8, 4 and 5,.and 5 and 6, the hooks which are interposed between the plate sections 5 and 6 being also used as adjusting spacing hooks to define fixed positions for those spacing hooks between form sections. In Fig. 1 the plate sections 6 and 10 are in one form section and the plate sections 4, 5 8 and 9 are in another form section, these two form sections bein separated by fixed spacing hooks such as those illustrated between the plate sections 5 and 6. The spacing hooks that are interposed between the plate sections of a form section need not have any means forming parts thereof for fixing them in connection with the base as these particular plate holding hooks should be allowed to automatically position themselves as the plate sections are moved and adjusted.

Where the registering hook or spacing hook is interposed between plate sections that are to be very closely approached the structure shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is preferred. In this construction the plate holding hook member is made very narrow and is desirably of triangular shape in cross section with the base of the triangle at the top of said member. The plate section that is adjacent the higher sideof the connecting member 12 is provided with a COIlfOI'IIllIlg recess 12 to enable this plate to be engaged by the adjacent side of the adjacent plate holding memher 7. A plate hook as constructed in accordance with Figs. 9 and 10 may be merely a spacing hook or it may be equipped with the adjusting'mechanism 13, 14- to constitute it an adjustable hook.

It will be noted that, when a plate hook 9f the drop-in construction described is used in con unction with a groove running diagonally of the form, which diagonal arrangement is the approved construction for reasons which it is unnecessary to state, the line of stress is disposed angularly to the groove and the adjustment screw which is .disposed parallel therewith. This stress would, if unresisted, bend the adjustment screw or displace the same so that it would lie angularly to the groove, which would increase as the pressure is increased. Either of these" conditions would result in excessive wear on the screw and its related parts. Engagement of the connecting member 12 with the corresponding portion of the groove could be utilized to prevent this. but this engagement has its limitations as applied to a hook of the above described drop-in construction for obvious reasons, particularly where, as herein illustrated and described, that portion of the groove which is engaged by said connectlng member 12 is notched. In order to prevent applied by the screw after the plate holding hook member 7 has engaged with the plate, the resistance of the plate is met by the screw and by said extended end of said drop-1n member 11 in its engagement with the oppos-' ing side of the roove, and the angular resistance of the p ate against the pressure applied by the adjustment screw is converted into resistance running parallel with said pressure, and the hook is held properly positioned relatively to the screw and plate. As the screw is rotated to move the plate hook in a direction toward the plate the engaging portion of said drop-in member slides along the engaged portion of the groove.

lVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in an undercut groove in a' base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portions of the groove and having a plate holding hook member connected withv the drop-in member, and means extending longitudinally of the groove and engageable with said plate hook and the side of said groove to prevent the hook from turning to disengage said drop-in member from the undercut portion of the groove and along which said plate hook is adjustable.

2. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in an undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the under cut portion of the groove and having an opening therein and having a plate holding hook member connected with the drop-in member, and means engageable with said opening and a side of the groove to prevent the drop-in member turning to disengage said drop-in member from the undercut portion of the groove.

3. A plate hook having a drop in member receivable in an undercut groovein a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portion of the groove and having an opening therein extending longitudinally of the groove when said drop-in member is engaged with said undercut portion and having a plate holding hook member connected with the drop-in member, and means disposed in said groove and extending longitudinally thereof and engageable with said opening and a side of the groove to prevent the hook from turning to disengage said drop-in member from the undercut portion of the groove.

l. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in an undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portion of the groove and a plate holdlongitudinally of said groove, and a mounting for said screw restricting the same as to bodily movement relatively to said base and adapted to allow rotation of said screw, said screw being in screw threaded engagement with said plate hook to provide adjustment thereof longitudinally of the groove and to prevent the same from turning to disengage said drop-in member from engagement with the undercut portion of the groove.

5. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in an undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portion of the groove and a plate holding hook member connected with the dropin member, and a screw for adjusting the plate hook longitudinally of the groove, the shank of the screw being in threaded engagement with the plate hook, the screw having a head engageable with the base at different places along the groove.

6. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in a diagonally arranged undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said dropin member with the undercut portions of the groove and having saiddrop-in member engageable with an opposed side of the undercut portion of the groove when said dropin member is turned into engagement with the undercut portion thereof and havin a plate holding hook member connected wlth said drop-in member, and means for adjusting said plate hook longitudinally along said groove in a, direction to cause a wedging action of said plate hook between an engaged plate and said engaged side of the undercut portion of the groove.

7. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in a diagonally arranged undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said drop-in member with the undercut portions of the groove and having said drop-in member engageable with an opposed side of the undercut portion of the groove when said drop-in member is turned intoengagement with the undercut portion thereof and having a plate holding hook member connected with said drop-in member, and an adjustment screw engageable with said plate hook when said plate hook is turned to engage said drop-in member with said undercut portion and adapted to be operated to adjust the plate hook longitudinally of said groove in a direction to cause a wedging action of said plate hook between an engaged plate and said engaged side of the undercut portion of the groove.

8. A plate hook having a drop-in member receivable in a diagonally arranged undercut groove in a base and adapted to be turned in said groove to engage said dropin member with the undercut portions of the groove and having said drop-in member engageable with an opposed side of the undercut portion of the groove when said drop-in member is turned into engagement with the undercut portion thereof and having a plate holding hook member connected with said drop-in member, and a screw for adjusting the plate hook longitudinally of the groove in a direction to cause a wedging action of said plate hook between an engaged plate and said engaged side of the undercut portion of the groove, the shank of the screw being in threaded engagement with the plate hook, the screw having a head engageable with the base at different places along the groove.

In witnesses whereof I hereunto subscribe my7name this 24th day of February, A. D., 191

ROBERT MIEHLE. 

